Catherine Carr
Founder and Principal
Catherine has been building award-winning brands and content for 25+ years. She led global content development and brand at Cranium from the company’s early days through its acquisition and founded Vitamin C Creative, a boutique brand and content consultancy, in 2010. A passionate brand thinker with a gift for connecting dots across diverse industries and audiences, Catherine helps brands build enduring value through authentic storytelling and brand-driven content that resonates.
MY STORY
Managing Editor, Microsoft
Keeper of the Flame, Cranium
Founder and Principal, Vitamin C Creative
Fun Stuff
I learned brand thinking, deep customer focus, and the importance of delighting in the details at Cranium, where I led brand and global content development through our acquisition by Hasbro.
Since launching Vitamin C in 2010, I have partnered with dozens of companies in Seattle and beyond to build enduring, resonant brands. I love combining strategic rigor and flawless execution to bring unique brand stories to life everywhere with creativity, excellence, and heart.
Off hours you might find me stirring risotto, propagating plants, cold plunging after a backyard sauna session, or hitting the trails around Seward Park.
CONNECTING THE DOTS
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I thrive on a rich variety of intellectual and creative challenges, from premium sparkling wines and retro-inspired ski suits to virtual mental health services and cutting-edge SaaS platforms.
SPEAKING AND WRITING
Catherine has been a featured speaker at William and Mary Women’s Weekend, the W&M Entrepreneurship Hub, the Foster School of Business, Seattle Interactive, Seattle Startup Week, and AMA Houston.
Favorite topics: brand and culture building, Cranium, brand archetypes, operationalizing brand and content, entrepreneurship, multiple intelligences, word-of-mouth marketing, work-life integration.
Playing the Game: Life Lessons from Cranium
William & Mary Women’s Weekend
Williamsburg, VA September 2025
Leaving Microsoft for a quirky board game startup felt like a roll of the dice, but becoming Cranium’s “Keeper of the Flame” proved to be a master class in brand and culture building and transformed how I think about collaboration and risk-taking. Go behind the scenes of an iconic brand and discover how to approach your work and life with more creativity, clarity, and fun.
Leading the Way: A Conversation with W&M Women Executives
The Road to Women’s Weekend
Bellevue, WA March 2025
This inspiring panel featured distinguished William & Mary women who have risen to the top of their fields sharing their journeys, offering insights on advancing in leadership, and discussing the critical role of women in executive roles.
Read The Elusive Work-Life Balance: 5 Strategies that Have Worked for Me
Finding the Emotional Focal Point of Your Brand
Seattle Interactive Conference
Seattle, WA August 2024
If you’ve ever wondered what sets iconic brands like Disney and Nike or category disruptors like Slack apart, brand archetype theory is the secret sauce. It’s a uniquely powerful tool for achieving clarity and deepening emotional pull throughout your brand’s life cycle. Catherine Carr’s innovative methodology has helped dozens of well-known B2C and B2B brands unlock creative inspiration and build enduring brands through the power of archetypes.
Read Finding the Emotional Focal Point of Your Brand: A Deep Dive on Brand Archetype Fundamentals
Building Your Personal Brand
The Swing Shift
A crash course in personal branding, from inspiration to activation. Hands-on exercises to clarify strategy, including a mini brand archetype workshop and a survey of real-world examples.
You Are Not Your SAT Score
Ignite Seattle
Working at Cranium for 8+ years, I got hooked on Dr. Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, and I still find it to be a uniquely powerful tool for inspiration and general perspective-broadening.
Read The PowerPoint Slide that Changed the Course of My Career
Let's Connect
